


I just want a hug

by invisible_slytherin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Confrontations, Dark Mark, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sectumsempra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-11-02 00:07:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10932846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/invisible_slytherin/pseuds/invisible_slytherin
Summary: "Your parents wouldn't want you to, but what about you? What do you want, Draco?""I just want a hug."





	I just want a hug

It had become a routine; watching his dot on the Marauders' map and looking for him in the corridors and Great Hall. It was something Harry did automatically nowadays, his brain didn't have to tell his eyes to find Malfoy, they just did, like it was in their nature to do so. 

Hermione and Ron were worried, it wasn't something they understood and, even though Harry tried to explain that he was sure that Malfoy was up to something, they just kept finding it weird and even creepy in a way.

It wasn't Harry's fault, really it wasn't. Malfoy had been acting suspicious since the beginning of the year and Harry was just trying to figure out why and maybe stop him from doing something that surely would do no good to anyone. 

That's exactly why he was following Malfoy around Hogwarts right now. 

Malfoy was walking at a fast pace, like he was running away from someone or something and, after a group of students got in Harry's way, he lost sight of the blond boy he was looking for and groaned before taking the Marauders' map out of his bag. 

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he said, the statement as true as ever.

The Hogwarts castle appeared on the parchment, little dots and names moving around. Harry ignored Dumbledore in his office, Snape in the dungeons and Hermione and Ron in the Gryffindor's common room and focused on the dot saying Draco Malfoy, surprised to see where it was. Myrtle's bathroom wasn't exactly a place where people liked to hang out just for the fun of it. 

Harry was sure that Malfoy was doing or was about to do something that he wasn't supposed to and, with that in mind, he started walking faster, praying that he was on time to stop Malfoy from doing whatever he was about to do. When he got to the bathroom he took his wand out of his pocket since he didn't know if he would need it; one never really knows with Malfoy. 

Cautiously, Harry entered the bathroom, ready to yell and fight if he had to, with his goal being stopping Malfoy from doing whatever he was about to do; it's needless to say that he couldn't be more surprised by the sight that greeted him.

Malfoy was in front of the mirror, hands gripping the edge of the sink and an expression that Harry had never seen on him. His eyes met Harry's in the mirror and Harry held his breath. Were those tears in his eyes and tear tracks on his cheeks?

Could Malfoy, aristocratic, selfish, pretentious, Slytherin, Draco Malfoy possibly be crying in girls' bathroom?

It didn't seem possible; it had never crossed Harry's mind that Draco Malfoy could ever do something like crying; and, in that moment, Harry understood that he had never thought of the other boy as a human.

Maybe it was time to do so.

"What are you doing here, Potter?" Malfoy snapped. "Go away!"

That reaction was expected. Harry was sure Malfoy didn't want to be seen like this, vulnerable and... and broken. It was a sight completely different from the one he showed usually, it was like Harry was seeing someone he had never seen before.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, still too surprised to say anything else.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I mean, you're here and, you know, looking like that."

"What do you mean, Potter?"

"You... you're crying, Malfoy!"

"Like you care," Malfoy scoffed.

"Maybe I care more than you think!"

Malfoy just laughed sarcastically, like there wasn't anything he believed less than what Harry was telling him. It was understandable.

"I'm not doing anything evil, so you can go now, Potter," he smirked, but it wasn't like the smug smirks Harry had seen on his face before. "There might be some damsel in distress needing your heroic acts."

"Seriously, Malfoy, would it kill you to tell me what's wrong?"

"It just might."

"So there is something wrong."

"Whatever, Potter, stay here if you want, but I am going now."

He made a move to exit the bathroom, but Harry grabbed his arm and stopped him. Malfoy tried to break free, but Harry just held his arm tighter, stopping him from making a run for the door.

"Let me go!" he said through gritted teeth.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong, Malfoy!"

"Whatever," he sighed, not looking like he was going to say anything.

"What's your problem, Malfoy?" Harry lost his temper.

"You want to know what my problem is?" Malfoy yelled. "You, Potter, you are my problem!"

The bathroom felt silent, none of the boys talking. They just stood there, looking at each other, eyes lit with anger and challenge, chest heaving with the deep breathes they had to take after yelling. Harry's grip on Malfoy's arm fell, but he didn't make any moves to walk away, just standing there.

"I..." Harry stuttered. "What do you mean?"

Malfoy sighed and, in an act that was completely different from himself, he sat on the bathroom floor and put his head on his hands. Harry looked at him, surprised and with a heavy feeling in his heart, almost unable to recognise him.

Malfoy had been the first wizard of his age harry had met; they had known each other since they were eleven and had been annoyed by each other ever since. This boy sitting on the floor with a broken look on his face didn't look like the Malfoy Harry knew at all.

"Do you want to talk?" Harry asked.

"Why would I want to talk to you, Potter?" he sighed.

"Because you look like you need to talk to someone and let out what you have in your mind."

"Philosophical, Potter," Malfoy laughed dryly.

Harry sighed and, after a moment of hesitation, he sat down on the floor next to Malfoy and stayed in silence, knowing that the other boy needed some time to talk, that is if he decided to do so.

"This is hard," Malfoy raised his head. "Talking and showing emotions... It's something I'm just not used to do."

"You close your emotions, don't you?"

"I'm a Malfoy," he shrugged like it explained everything. It did.

"What happened this Summer, Malfoy? You're different this year."

"You have confronted the Dark Lord a lot of times, Potter, but I have been in his presence more times than I can count," he looked at Harry. "You don't have any idea what it is like to live with him."

"You're right, I don't know," Harry sighed.

"The Malfoy Manor has been in my family for centuries, I was born and raised there and now all my childhood memories, Christmases, birthdays, everything is covered with the gloomy veil the Dark Lord brought with him."

Harry didn't have good childhood memories at the Dursleys' but he knew that it must be horrible for Malfoy to see his home being invaded by that mad man and his followers. Somehow, Harry felt himself hate Voldemort even more for making Malfoy go through something like that - even though he blamed Malfoy's parents too.

"You shouldn't be talking to me, Potter!" Malfoy spoke suddenly, like he had just remembered something.

"What?"

"Are you an idiot, Potter?" I'm your enemy!"

"No, you're not, Malfoy," Harry rolled his eyes.

"I'm the son of the two Death eaters that are letting the Dark Lord live in their house. I am a Death Eater, potter, so, yes, I am the enemy."

Harry cringed. He hadn't been sure if Malfoy had gotten the Dark Mark, but it seemed like he did, like he followed his parents footsteps. Harry's eyes couldn't help but look at Malfoy's left forearm.

"What? Are you expecting me to show it to you?" he asked sarcastically.

"No!"

Malfoy smirked.

"Do you have any idea of the things I saw? The things they taught me? The things I'm capable of? You should be careful around me, Potter."

"You won't scare me away, Malfoy," Harry cracked a little smile.

"It's not easy to do it, is it?"

"Do what?"

"Scare you away."

"I guess it isn't..." Harry sighed. "Seriously, now... why did you do it?"

"Do what?" Malfoy mocked him.

"Get the mark."

Malfoy didn't answer and, for a moment, Harry almost regretted asking... Almost, since he was really curious to know what Malfoy had to say. it didn't look like he enjoyed his life and home very much at the moment.

"Why are you trying to defeat the Dark Lord?" 

"Because it's what I have to do," Harry answered, a little confused by the question. "It's what everyone expects me to do; it's what I'm supposed to do."

Malfoy just nodded.

"Have it ever crossed your mind that we are not that different, Potter?"

"Actually, no, it hadn't."

Malfoy got up from where he was sitting on the floor next to Harry and stood in front of him.

"This, the Dark Mark, it's something I'm supposed to have. I've been taught all my life how to be a dark and powerful wizard; this is what everyone expects of me and what my parents want me to do."

Harry felt silent, not knowing how to answer to a side of Malfoy he had never seen.

"Maybe Dumbledore and the Order can help you, Malfoy," Harry suggested, suddenly desperate to get the boy out of that life.

"I don't think so, Potter," he shook his head, laughing dryly.

"It's worth a try," he shrugged. "Isn't it?"

Malfoy sighed. 

"I'm not going to turn my back on my family, Harry!"

Harry took a moment to appreciate the way Malfoy said his name so casually and without any hints of malice, surprised.

"Maybe there's a solution for the three of you..."

"You do know who my father is, don't you?"

"I... yeah, but..." Harry stopped, knowing it was a lost fight, Malfoy was right, it would be almost impossible to get redemption for his father.

"My father is one of the highest on the Dark Lord's Death Eaters list... there's no way he can be saved from this... I don't even know if he would want to be saved."

"But you want to be saved, don't you?"

Malfoy nodded  little, only to stop abruptly and cringe, his right hand gripping his left forearm.

"You okay?" Harry asked softly.

"Yeah," he took a deep breath. "There are things I shouldn't say or think," he explained.

"You want to be saved. Let me save you, Draco."

Draco shook his head. 

"My parents... They wouldn't want me to."

"Your parents wouldn't want you to, but what about you? What do you want, Draco?"

"I just want a hug."

Harry had never thought he would ever see Draco Malfoy so sad and vulnerable; the sight, so different from the usual, made Harry's heart ache and clench in a way he hadn't thought possible.

Without a word, he got up from the floor and stood in front of the other boy. Harry didn't have to think twice about what he was about to do, he just did it; he just put his arms around the boy and held him tight against his chest, feeling Draco's surprised intake of breathe against his neck. After some seconds, Draco put his arms around Harry too, returning the hug he needed so much.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"I'm going to help you," Harry took a step back to look him in the eyes. "It's a promise."

Draco smiled a little, happy to finally have someone he could talk to and who  he could count on. He had never thought that it would be Potter, Saint Potter, but the boy was being surprisingly good at comforting him and reassuring him; Draco almost believed him.

He took a step forward and wrapped his arms around harry again, making the space Harry had put between them just moments before nonexistent. Not that any of them minded.

None of them knew what the future had prepared for them, they didn't know if Draco would be able to get away from home and leave his parents, they didn't know if any of them would survive the war, but, somehow, even though the future was uncertain and their past was the way it was, Harry knew that he had Draco and Draco knew that he had Harry. 

And that was enough for the moment.


End file.
